Car-coupling



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-E'Sheet 1.

H. C. BUHOUP. OAR COUPLING No. 578,314. Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

"a w E m l W INVE TOH ATTORNEY.

No'Model!) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H; 0. BUHOUP.

' OAR COUPLING. No. 578,314. Patented Mar. 9, 1897.

151': to w UNITED STATES PATENT mes.

HARRY C. BUHOUP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,314, dated March 9, 1897.

Application filed November 14, 1896. Serial No. 612,146. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY 0. Humor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan viewof a coupler embodying my invention arranged as for a Miller-hook coupler, the coupler-head being in section. Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the coupler, the hook being removed and the coupler converted into a Master Oar-Builders or twin-jaw coupler. Fig. 3 is a plan vieW of a coupler-head embodying my invention detachably attached to a plurality of stems by means of an interposed cross-bar, shown as arranged for a Master Oar-Builders coupler. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the coupler-head as arranged to couple with a Miller-hook coupler, the head being detachably attached to a plurality of stems by means of an interposed cross-bar. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a coupler embodying my invention in a modified form.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of that class of couplers adapted to operate either as a right-hand or left-hand coupler,

as circumstances may require.

Among the couplers now in service on railway-cars are two well-known forms-viz. the Master Car-Builders (M. O. B.) or twin-jaw type and the Miller-hook type, the firstnamed of which is the standard and a righthand coupler, While the latter, which is being replaced by the former on many roads, is a left-hand coupler, owing to Which and other differences in construction much difficulty is experienced in effecting a coupling where cars having the difierent forms of coupling are brought together in one train, and as a general thing the link, which makes a dangerous coupling when so used, is resorted to to effect a coupling of the cars.

While, as before stated, the Master Oar- Builders type is being substituted for the Miller hook on many roads, the change must, from the attendant circumstances, be very gradual, owing to the wide dispersion of the cars, '&c.

The object of the present invention is to provide a coupler which is in all essentials of the Master Car-Builders or standard type and at all times capable of coupling with Master Car-Builders couplers, and at the same time embodies in itself such essentials of the Miller hook as will enable it, with slight rearrangement of parts, to couple with the Miller-hook couplers.

To this end the main feature of my invention embraces the combination, in a carcoupler, of a plurality of knuckles or hooks pivoted at a common point and rotatable in opposite directions, whereby the coupler may be employed either as a right or left hand coupler, according-1y as it is to couple with a Master Oar-Builders or a Miller-hook type of coupler.

There are other minor features of invention, all as Will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the couplerhead, and B its stem, the general lines of the head being such as prescribed by the Master Car-Builders Association. The head A is provided with the usual guard-arm a and pivot-ears a for the knuckle C, but instead of being solid at the side Where the knuckle is pivoted it is slotted, as at h, to receive the tail h of a hook H and may be widened out at the base of the head to afford space for an additional locking mechanism to secure the tail 7?. of the hook H.

0 represents the knuckle (right hand) of the Master Oar-Builders type, said knuckle having-the usual tailpiece c, and D is a springactuated wing-lock for, engaging and locking the tailpiece of knuckle. The wing-lock D will be provided on its pivot and exterior to the head with the usual lever, (not shown,) whereby it may be operated for uncoupling.

H indicates a hook Whose engaging face if is of the Miller-hook pattern, said hook having a tailpiece 72, and being recessed at its back to fit over the back of the knuckle and be secured by the pivot-pin p of the knuckle O. The tailpiece h of the hook II lies parallel with and in juxtaposition to the tailpiece c of the knuckle O, and to secure the tailpiece h I provide a sliding locking-block L, which is actuated by a finger d on the wing-lock D, the wing-lock being itself actuated in the usual manner.

In the preferred form of construction (see Fig. 2) the hook II and knuckle 0 have separate tailpieces arranged parallel and in apposition, but, if desired, the tailpiece h may be omitted (see Fig. 5) and the head of the hook widened out to bear upon the front of the knuckle O, the tailpiece c of the knuckle thus being made to perform the same function for the hook H.

When in use as a Master Car- Builders coupler and to couple with twinjaw couplers, the coupler head and stem must rest in the median line, (see Fig. 2,) but in order to act as a hook-coupler and couple with the Miller-hook type of coupler it must stand to one side of the median line, (see Fig. 1,) to accomplish which I provide the coupler with a lateral spring S, connected therewith by a suitable rod R and collar 4, the tendency of which is to hold the coupler and stem in the center line, and to hold the stem on one side of said center I provide a wedge-block W, which to avoid loss may be secured to the draft or sill timber by a short chain w.

In case the head A is made detachable and combined with a cross-bar and plurality of stems (see Figs. 3 and 4) the lateral adjustment required to convert the coupler from a Master Oar-Builders to a Miller-hook coupler can be obtained by shifting the head on the cross-bar. The rocking of the head incident to the use of plural stems will insure sufficient lateral movement for coupling purposes,

and the uncoupling can be readily effected by withdrawing the locks D L.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a coupler-head having a guardarm and knuckle-ears, of a plurality of knuckles or hooks pivoted on the knuckle-ears of the head and arranged to rotate in both directions, and means for locking said knuckles, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with a coupler-head and knuckle of the Master (Jar- Builders type, of a hook of the Miller type mounted on the knuckle and movable therewith, and means for locking said knuckle and hook, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination with the coupler-head, of a knuckle or right-hand coupling device, a hook or left-hand coupling device, said knuckle and hook having a common pivot and separate tailpieces, and a plurality of locking devices for securing said hook and knuckle, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4.. In a car-coupler, the combination with a coupler-head, of a knuckle and its tailpiece and a hook and its tailpiece said hook and knuckle having a common pivot, a wing-lock for the tailpiece of the knuckle and a lock for the tailpiece of the hook the latter connected with and operated from the former, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of November, 1896.

HARRY C. BUHOUP.

Witnesses:

A. J. ZWART, DANIEL B. MAsoN. 

